An Arrival, And A Return

Tonight, of course, marks the official arrival of Dustin Ackley, and while this was already a team with Michael Pineda and Justin Smoak having great success in important roles, I think it's Ackley who'll really get people to realize that this is a team set up well in both the present and the future. Pineda and Felix Hernandez make for a hell of a pitching core, and Smoak and Ackley should be rocks in the lineup. It's a good situation.

But while Ackley - and then Pineda - will attract the bulk of the attention tonight, it's worth noting that the game will also mark the return of Raul Ibanez to Seattle. It's weird to think about - both because Raul wasn't exactly an icon, and because it feels like he's been gone for 20 years - but it's a storyline that I'm sure means something to somebody.

Interestingly enough, this won't be the first time Raul returns to Seattle as a former Mariner. Between 2001-2003, Raul batted .381 with five home runs in Safeco as a visiting Royal, setting in motion the plan to reacquire him in the first place. But now he's 39. Now he's not auditioning for anything. Now he's old, and now he's much worse.

Which isn't to say that he's bad, mind you, but it looks like Raul is finally hitting the wall we've been predicting for like the last seven years. He's in the final year of his current contract, and at this rate there's no guarantee he'll sign another. For Raul Ibanez, this might be the end.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of response he gets. For truly great players in Mariners history, the response in these situations has run the gamut from hero worship to outright contempt, but Raul was never great. He was merely good. I'd expect tepid applause and a few scattered Rauuuuuuuuls, but, who knows? Raul was here during some dark, dark years. It's possible that fans won't want to think about what they've been through on a night that's all about celebrating the present and looking ahead.

Tonight also marks the return of Wilson Valdez to Seattle. When Valdez was a Mariner, he batted .198/.235/.254. I expect Valdez to get no response at all, except for one guy, somewhere in the upper deck, booing really, really loud.

Anyway, as for Raul, our friends over at The Good Phight have opened up a sort of Raul Ibanez open roast thread and have invited all of you to chime in, so please do participate if you're feeling creative and can't wait for the game to start. And once the game does start, me, I'm looking forward to Raul vs. Pineda. I live for symbolism.